[TowerTalk] Too Old To Climb Towers

[Ray Benny]

Guys,

I still climb limited heights (70 yo) and do use long extension ladders
strapped onto the side of towers.

When I lived in Calif., I purchased "The Rung Step" from a local paint
supplier. Its a detachable rung extension that sets on a rung of your
extension ladder and provides about 6 in X 1 ft  surface to stand on. It
really helps when you need to stand for more than a few minutes. The guy
who developed it had to go through a bunch of legal safety tests and
procedures to get it patented.

Here's the link to the site: http://www.rungstep.com/

Cost is $30, plus CA tax, and shipping.

Works great for me!

Ray,
N6VR
Chino Valley, AZ

On Mon, Jan 5, 2015 at 5:18 PM, Don <w7wll at arrl.net> wrote:

> Amen! Only 78 and been at it only 60 years, but I have no desire to do any
> climbing anymore either.
>
> I have one of the Wing double slide ladders, all but a permanent
> attachment to the HG-70HD crankup. BUT, have a friend down the coast who
> has a very nice bucket lift on his work van (cable contractor) that is
> often available for short periods in the spring through fall. SO MUCH
> EASIER THAN THE LADDER. Bucket has a nice tool tray too. Little small for a
> chair though!! Wish it were mine (pic attached). sked the wife if I could
> buy one and her response is not printable.
>
> A couple of years after this pic was taken I installed a layover fixture
> and that is the position the tower is in now as I do some antenna cleanup
> and balun and coax replacement. Was tough to get out in December and work,
> 14.3 inches of rain spread over the month. My layover system has a dual
> pulley at the fixture and the tower so raising and lowering is really easy.
> BUT, one still needs a ladder (I use a shorter one) to work on the antennas
> of course because the boom length of the TH7DX doesn't allow complete
> lowering. Also have a steel brace system to lay the tower on, allowing
> relief for the pulley cable and assuring it doesn't drop more than I want.
>
> Don W7WLL
>
> -----Original Message----- From: Chuck Smallhouse
> Sent: Monday, January 05, 2015 3:01 PM
> To: towertalk at contesting.com
> Subject: [TowerTalk] Too Old To Climb Towers
>
> There are varying excuses for not wanting to climb towers any longer,
> too old is one !  At 83 and a ham for over 67 years, I prefer (not
> desire) to only have to climb no more than 30-40 feet on something
> similar to Rohn 45 or 55.
>
> So some months ago, when confronted with climbing a retracted crank
> up tower, with diagonal bracing, I purchased an aluminum 24'
> extension ladder from Walmart, on sale for about $144.   Prior to
> using it, I installed "ears or wings" on the top of each of its
> vertical members to prevent it, when leaning up against my tower,
> from inadvertently sliding off.  With the ladder's base about 3 to 5
> feet away from the tower's base, it provides a comfortable climbing
> angle.  I further anchored and stabilized it to the tower, with three
> strategically placed, rachet "tie down" straps around both the tower
> and the ladder, along it's length.
>
> This is a cheap mental and physical insurance policy for climbing
> retracted crank up towers, if you can't also "lay them down".  Bear
> in mind that the advertised length of these ladders does not reflect
> the necessary overlap distance of their sections.  Also there's
> nothing wrong with storing them in place !
>
> Chuck,  W7CS
>
>
>
>
>
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